DEL MAR — Jockey Umberto Rispoli and the 3-year-old filly Sandy Bottom spoiled the return of prized filly Tamara in Friday’s feature race.

Now undefeated in three starts, Sandy Bottom led wire-to-wire and held off the daughter of Hall of Famer Beholder by a nose at the wire to win the six-furlong race on the dirt for older fillies and mares.

Tamara went off as the 2-5 favorite in the field of six. She hadn’t raced since a post-race examination revealed a fractured splint bone in her left leg following a seventh-place finish in the 2023 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies at Santa Anita.

I would have liked to have won it, but she handled the race well,” said Tamara’s trainer Richard Mandella. “It was a good start back for her. She broke a little slow and got in tight, but she came through there well. We’ll now look at going in the La Brea Stakes at Santa Anita (Dec. 26).”

Trained by Michael McCarthy, Sandy Bottom is the daughter of Omaha Beach that Mandella trained. Sandy Bottom paid $10.20 as the third-favorite in the race. Tamara won the 2023 Grade I Del Mar Debutante by 6¾ lengths.

Baffert favored

Trainer Bob Baffert is scheduled to have four of the five 2-year-old fillies running in Saturday’s feature – the $100,000 Desi Arnaz Stakes at seven furlongs.

Headlining the field are Baffert’s Silent Law (Juan Hernandez; the 6-5, morning-line favorite), Mawu and Tenma.

Silent Law, the daughter of Tiz the Law, has won her first two career starts. Mawu (Kimura Kazushi, 5-2) won her six-furlong debut by 3¼ lengths. Tenma (Hector Berrios, 3-1) is the daughter of Nyquist and won this year’s Del Mar Debutante at the end of the summer meeting.